27 Mar SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

Please note that the author of Speak Your Vues is in no way affiliated with the publisher of
this paper. The author of this column is an independent third party contributor. The views and
opinions expressed by this author may not reflect the views and opinions of the publishers. If
one has any issues with any of the views, please write a letter to the Vues Master.

KUDOS TO THE WOMEN
Dear Vues Master,
I just want to publicly say thank you to all the wives out
there who are working very hard this month getting ready
for Pesach.
Every Shabbos is hard work in itself, but Pesach is really
hard. Between the cleaning and the cooking, especially for
people who stay home, it’s exhausting.
Kol hakavod!
BH
Vues Master’s Note: And please don’t forget the men who
get up from the couch so their wives can clean behind it,
without having to move both the husband and the couch!

EXPENSES
Dear Vues Master,
It is absolutely insane. I went through the Jewish Vues very
carefully last week and then went shopping with my wife
this past weekend in three different local supermarkets.
The price of kosher food is insane. It is definitely up more
than 20% compared to last year.
How does a family of eight survive?
Baruch Hashem there are organizations helping out, but
still, this is crazy.
FR
Vues Master’s Note: What about gas?
RABBI ELEFANT
Dear Vues Master,
I just wanted to let you know how much my family has
been enjoying Rabbi Elefant’s Pesach Q&As in the Jewish
Vues.
We read them at the Shabbos table every week and find
them very informative.
SR
Vues Master’s Note: We would like to thank Rabbi Elefant
and all the other Jewish Vues columnists who work very
hard all year long writing for The Jewish Vues.
Good Yom Tov.

PESACH
Dear Vues Master,

It’s amazing how many kosher-for-Pesach items are avail-
able today. I have a hard time believing that this is the way

we are supposed to celebrate the Yom Tov of Pesach.
There is very little that you can’t get these days.
MS
Vues Master’s Note: One thing is missing—the Geulah
Sheleimah.

CHAMETZ CLEANING TIPS
Dear Vues Master,
Open a new file on your PC.
Name it “Chometz.”
Send it to the Recycle Bin.
Empty the Recycle Bin.
Your PC will ask you, “Are you sure you want to delete
Chometz permanently?”
Calmly answer, “Yes,” and press the mouse button firmly…
Feel better?
Works every time!
Vues Master’s Note: If it were only that easy!

MIRACLES TODAY
Dear Vues Master,
I often hear people say that if Hashem performed miracles
today, they would believe in Him and have a relationship
with Him.
The answer is: He does perform miracles today!

When you see the headline, “99% of the 300-plus projec-
tiles fired by Iran at Israel were intercepted,” and you read

the history of the Iron Dome and Israel’s missile defense
program—how many scientists thought it was impossible
to invent something that could respond to the trajectory and
velocity of missiles and destroy them in midair—when you
see a 99% effectiveness rate, know that it is nothing short
of miraculous.

Yes, it was invented through human ingenuity and re-
sourcefulness, but that is because Hashem always invites

us to be His partner in making miracles.
When you sit down for the Seder in a few days and talk

about the miracles of Hashem, don’t refer only to thou-
sands of years ago. Talk about the miracles that happened

this week.
Thank you, Hashem!
Thank you to the brilliant scientists and engineers in Israel!

Thank you to the Israeli people for their perseverance, te-
nacity, and faith!

REG
Vues Master’s Note: There are miracles everywhere! Just
open your eyes.

TEFILLIN ON CHOL HAMOED
Dear Vues Master,
I have a problem. My father-in-law keeps calling me a goy
because I wear tefillin on Chol Hamoed.
I saw in an article that the mesorah is not to wear tefillin

on Chol Hamoed. However, when I looked
at Rashi in Mesechta Sukkah, it seems that
he wore tefillin on Chol Hamoed. The Rema
also wore tefillin on Chol Hamoed.
I am not sure, did they not have a mesorah?
Or are they following a “goyishe mesorah”?
Perplexed in Flatbush
Vues Master’s Note: I would like to know
which goy puts on tefillin, period.

A SPECIAL SEDER
Dear Vues Master,
I just heard a great story for Erev Pesach
from Rabbi Elimelech Biderman shlit”a.
He said that Reb Ber’tze was a very special
chassid of Reb Asher of Karlin zy”a. Before
Pesach, he would bake his own matzos and
make his own wine. Everything was prepared
with many chumros and great caution.
One year, he set the table with wine and
matzos and then left for the beis medrash to
daven. When his wife passed the table, her

apron caught on the tablecloth, and every-
thing on the table—including the matzos and

the wine—tumbled to the floor.
When Reb Ber’tze came home, he found his
wife in bed, upset and angry. She said, “Why
weren’t you more careful with the matzos
and the wine? Why did you put them in a
place where they could topple over so easily?
It’s your fault!”
Reb Ber’tze calmly answered, “It wasn’t my
fault, and it wasn’t yours. Everything is from
Hashem.”
He then picked up the matzos from the

ground and used them for the Seder. Gener-
ally, his custom was not to eat matzos that

fell on the floor, but he made an exception
this time because he realized that this was the
only way to restore peace in his home.

The next morning, Rebbe Asher of Karlin de-
scribed what happened in Heaven because of

the sedarim of tzaddikim:

“This tzaddik’s Seder shined in the up-
per worlds… and this tzaddik’s Seder was

extremely special… But the Seder of Reb

Ber’tze was greater than all of them. No one
reached the heights that he attained.”
PF

Vues Master’s Note: Controlling one’s tem-
per is always one of the hardest things to do.

TRIBUTE TO REB MOSHE
Dear Vues Master:
I wanted to take a moment to express my
sincere appreciation for the beautiful and
creative piece by Ari Hirsch commemorating
the 40th yahrzeit of HaGaon HaRav Moshe
Feinstein zt”l. The idea of reaching out to
more than forty rabbanim and asking each
of them to share their favorite teshuvah from
Igros Moshe was truly genius. It was not only

a meaningful tribute to Rav Moshe’s tower-
ing legacy, but also an inspiring reminder of

how deeply his psak and guidance continue
to illuminate the lives of Klal Yisrael.
Each rabbi’s selection offered a glimpse into
the breadth and depth of Rav Moshe’s Torah,
showing how his responsa touch every aspect

of Jewish life. From practical halachic ques-
tions to broader hashkafic insights, the piece

captured the enduring relevance of Igros
Moshe in a way that was both accessible and

uplifting. Reading through the various reflec-
tions felt like sitting in a beis medrash where

talmidei chachamim were sharing their ap-
preciation for one of the greatest poskim of

our generation.
It also highlighted something very special
about The Jewish Vues. Time and again, your
publication finds thoughtful and creative

ways to bring Torah, rabbanim, and mean-
ingful discussion to the broader community.

This article was a perfect example of journal-
ism that is both engaging and rooted in kavod

haTorah.
Please convey my appreciation to Ari Hirsch
for such a thoughtful concept and execution.
Pieces like this remind us why The Jewish
Vues continues to stand out.

There is a reason why you truly are the news-
paper of Klal Yisrael. Keep up the wonderful

work.
Sincerely,
A grateful reader
Vues Master’s
Note: We love
compliments. Keep
them coming!

CHILDREN
COMING
HOME FOR
PESACH
Dear Vues Master,

There’s a well-
known Pesach joke

about a man who
calls his son that I
want to share with
your readers. It’s
an oldie that most

people know, but I love it.
“Son, I’m sorry to ruin your day, but your
mom and I are getting divorced.”
“Divorced? You’ve been married for 45
years! What are you talking about?”
“Well, son, we just can’t stand each other
anymore. I need to go. Tell your sister.”
Click.
The son calls his sister and tells her what’s
going on, and they immediately hatch a plan.
They call their father back.
“Dad, do not do anything! We’re booking
flights and we’ll be there tomorrow to discuss
things. In the meantime, just hang tight.”
The father hangs up the phone, turns to his
wife, and says:
“Honey, the kids are coming for Pesach!”
PKL
Vues Master’s Note: A classic. Never gets
old.

AFIKOMEN
Dear Vues Master,
My ten-year-old daughter really wants me to

buy her a cell phone for her afikomen pres-
ent. I don’t think she’s ready for one, but ev-
eryone in her class already has one.

What should I do?
RH
Vues Master’s Note: Don’t spoil her. Do

what you feel is right. You have more experi-
ence than she does.

ON SERVING & LEARNING
After high school, I came to Israel to study
Torah in yeshiva for a gap year. I was 18,
American, and didn’t know much about the
world.
I had lived in a Modern Orthodox bubble my

entire life, and everyone in that bubble fol-
lowed essentially the same path: high school,

a year or two learning in Israel, Yeshiva
University in New York, marriage, a career,
children, and then repeating the process with
your own children.
I veered slightly off that path by staying in
Israel and not going to YU after my two years

of study. I got married quickly, started a fam-
ily quickly, and continued my Torah studies

in a kollel that also gave me the opportunity
to teach.
During those years, a Palestinian terrorist

blew himself up at a Pesach Seder in a ho-
tel in Netanya, and Israel launched a massive

operation in Jenin.

Most of my colleagues in the kollel were of-
ficers in the IDF (it was a Zionist kollel), and

they were all called up to serve. I was one of
the only people not serving that Pesach.
I experienced a sort of wake-up call that
Pesach and couldn’t find a reason why I
shouldn’t be serving. I transferred my status
from “foreign student” to “Israeli immigrant”
and waited to be drafted.
A few months later, I received my notice and
went to take my tests. I never heard from the

IDF again. (Stop laughing.)

I wasn’t rejected or accepted. I’ve had differ-
ent people look into my status, and they’ve

come up with blanks.
I tried two more times throughout my life to

join the IDF, and neither attempt was suc-
cessful.

To my great regret—and somewhat embar-
rassment—I’ve never served a day as a sol-
dier.

Looking back, I wonder why I didn’t recog-
nize my responsibility to serve in the army

earlier. Was I selfish? Did I think that because
I was born in America I didn’t share the same
responsibility as Israelis my age?
I can’t answer these questions. But I have
concluded that I was wrong not to serve.
As a Jew, I had a responsibility to serve in the
Jewish army and protect the Jewish people.
My birth country, my citizenship, and my life
plans did not exempt me from serving my
people.

Because of this, I try to be careful about ex-
pressing opinions. If I don’t have expertise in

a topic, I try not to comment. And there are
topics where I limit my comments because I
feel personally deficient.
This is how I feel about the topic of serving
in the army.
As a rabbi, an Israeli, and a Jew, I have strong
opinions on the subject—but I didn’t serve,
and therefore I don’t feel I have the right to
comment on other people’s responsibilities
or exemptions.
Some might argue that since I’m a rabbi, an
educator, live in Israel, and have children
who serve the country, I’ve earned that right.
I disagree.
RUP
Vues Master’s Note: Should someone in
America have the right to disagree with
something going on in Eretz Yisrael? Same
question.

LOUD MUSIC AT CHASUNAS
Dear Vues Master,
Is it just me, or is the music at chasunas very
loud these days? I know that at some of the
weddings I’ve attended lately they’ve been
giving out earplugs.
NJ
Vues Master’s Note: My ears are still ringing
from a chasuna I attended two weeks ago.

SHEITEL SHOPPING
Dear Vues Master,
Is it wrong for me to tell my wife that I can
spend the same amount on my Yom Tov suit
as she spends on her sheitel?
LD
Vues Master’s Note: Only if you can afford
both. Otherwise, let your wife get the nice
sheitel. Chances are she did a lot more this
Erev Yom Tov than you did.

SHABBOS LUNCH COMPANY
Dear Vues Master,

If my shul on Shabbos morning ends at 11:00 a.m. and
we invite company over for lunch, is it wrong to tell the
company that we are starting lunch at noon?
This past Shabbos we had to wait for our company to
arrive until 1:00 p.m. I really wanted to take a shlof, and
by the time the meal was over it was already after 4:00
p.m. I had promised my son that I would learn with him
on Shabbos afternoon, so I didn’t get a shlof. When I
don’t get sleep on Shabbos afternoon, I’m wiped out the
entire week.
I told my wife that I don’t want to invite anyone for lunch
anymore, and she’s not happy with me. What should I
do?
GT

Vues Master’s Note: There has to be some sort of com-
promise. There are therapists out there who deal with

this!

THANKS
Dear Vues Master,
My family absolutely loves the Jewish Vues! You are
definitely the best newspaper for Klal Yisrael. I have

friends who are modern, yeshivish, Syrian, and chassi-
dish, and we all love the paper. You truly are the newspa-
per of Klal Yisrael!

I just want to say thank you to the entire staff at the Jew-
ish Vues for all the great work you do every week. Your

dedication and effort are truly appreciated.
Wishing you and the entire staff a happy and kosher
Pesach!
Thank you again,
VT

Vues Master’s Note: We love our fans. Hava Chag Kash-
er V’ Sameach!

ERETZ YISRAEL FOR PESACH
Dear Vues Master
As Pesach approaches, a time that is meant to celebrate
family, freedom, and togetherness, my heart is pulled in
two directions. My son, who lives in Israel, had been
planning to come home to New York to spend Yom Tov
with us. Like so many families, we counted the days with

anticipation. Now, with the frightening escalation of vio-
lence and the very real possibility of Israeli airspace clos-
ing, those plans are slipping away.

I am deeply grateful that he is safe. Each day that we hear
her voice is a gift, especially in such uncertain times. The
reports of missile strikes and the instability surrounding

travel only reinforce how precarious the situation has be-
come. If the airport shuts down, one of the last pathways

home will disappear, not just for her, but for thousands of
others longing to reunite with loved ones.

At the same time, there is a measure of comfort knowing

she will not be alone. He will be celebrating in Eretz Yis-
rael, surrounded by extended family, sharing the spirit of

Pesach in the very land where our history was born. We
remind ourselves that everything is in the hands of the
Aibeshter, and that faith gives us strength in moments of
fear and uncertainty.
Still, the absence will be deeply felt. A seat at our Seder
table will remain empty, a quiet reminder of how fragile
normal life can be. This year, more than ever, we will
hold onto hope, for safety, for peace, and for the day
when distance and danger no longer keep families apart.
RTT
Vues Master’s Note: Your son should be safe and have
a beautiful Yom Tov. He should also take joy in how
fortunate she is to be celebrating Yom Tov in Eretz
Yisrael, where we should all be soon. L’shana haba’ah
b’Yerushalayim habenuyah.

MAIMONIDES
Dear Vues Master
As a concerned community member, I’m writing to ask a
simple but increasingly urgent question: what exactly is
going on at Maimonides Medical Center?
In recent weeks, the public has been told that a major

merger with NYC Health + Hospitals was not only un-
derway, but imminent, expected to close by April 1,

2026. Yet, almost without warning, the New York At-
torney General’s Charities Bureau rejected the hospital’s

request for administrative approval, instead requiring a
lengthy and far more rigorous court review process. This
sudden shift raises serious concerns about transparency
and oversight.

If, as recently as March 2, officials were expressing con-
fidence in the timeline, how did such a significant ob-
stacle emerge so abruptly? Was the complexity of this

transaction underestimated, or were key concerns not
fully disclosed to the public?
This is not a minor administrative matter. The proposed
transfer involves a multi-billion-dollar institution that

serves a vital role in Brooklyn’s healthcare system. Un-
derstandably, community members are worried about

how this deal could affect quality of care, access to ser-
vices, and the hospital’s long-standing mission.

In particular, many within the frum community sur-
rounding Maimonides have expressed a clear preference

that the hospital not be absorbed into a public hospital
system. For this community, Maimonides is more than
just a healthcare provider, it is a trusted institution whose
character and standards they fear could change under
new governance.
Adding to the confusion are multiple legal challenges

now unfolding in parallel, including lawsuits from com-
munity stakeholders and even internal trustees. Taken

together, this paints a picture not of a smooth transition,
but of deep uncertainty and disagreement.

At a minimum, the public deserves clear, honest com-
munication. Patients, staff, and the broader community

should not be left in the dark about decisions that could
profoundly impact their healthcare.
YA
Vues Master’s Note: Honestly, it feels like everyone is
completely bewildered, there are no clear answers, only
growing confusion.